Tape motion for shuttleless looms



1965 w. L. TINKHAM 3,198,215

TAPE MOTION FOR SHUTTLELESS LOOMS Filed June 12, 1965 i; I I

28 INVENTOR.

WESLEY L.TINKHAM.

A TTORNE Y United States Patent 3,198,215 TAPE MQTEON FUR SHUTTLELESS LOOMS Wesley L. Tinlrham, Upton, Mass, assignor to Draper Corporation, Hopedale, Mass., at corporatien of Maine Filed June 12, 1963:, Ser. No. 287,351 3 Claims. (Cl. 139-122) This invention pertains to shuttleless looms of the type that utilizes a flexible filling inserting member or tape which is alternately wound upon and unwound from the outer periphery of an oscillating wheel, and more particularly, the invention relates to a novel means of maintaining said flexible inserting member in contact with said wheel as it is actuated thereby.

It is a general object of the invention to provide a retaining means which shall function effectively to prevent any radial movement of the flexible inserting member away from the oscillating wheel while said member is being inserted or withdrawn from the Warp shed.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a retaining means which will not heat, scuff or wear the flexible inserting member as it is wound onto and extended from the oscillating wheel, and which will eliminate the need for lubrication between said inserting member and wheel.

A more specific object of the invention is that of maintaining the flexible inserting member in contact with the oscillating wheel by means of an endless belt member which is guided over spaced pulleys with a portion thereof in pressing contact with and partially encircling said oscillating wheel.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following more detailed disclosure.

Shuttleless looms of the type to which the instant invention is applicable have reciprocable filling carriers which are alternately wound upon and unwound from oscillating wheels disposed at the sides of the loom. These looms utilize an outside source or" filling, that is, the supply is not carried to and fro through the warp shed by a shuttle or the filling inserting means itself. The filling is measured and cut to the required length for reaching across the Width of the fabric being woven. A first carrier inserts the filling into the shed to a point adjacent the center thereof where it is transferred to a second carcier member and is then extended through the remaining portion of the shed to complete the laying of a single pick.

The reciprocable filling carriers are of a type involving flexible tapes which are caused to enter and to recede from the fabric shed as heretofore described by being wrapped about and then unwrapped from oscillating wheels or so-called tape wheels which are oscillated throughout slightly less than a full revolution.

Since certain patents clearly show and describe the looms and means for actuating the filling carriers utilized with the instant invention, it is not considered necessary at this point to insert herein a detailed description of these mechanisms. Attention is hereby drawn to United States Patents 2,604,123 and 2,810,403.

The flexible tapes are tight against the rim or outer periphery of the tape wheels when retracted or wound, but when inserted into the warp shed, they must be held radially inwardly by some guide means. Such guide means have included a plurality of rollers such as shown in United States Patent 2,604,123.

Prior to the instant invention numerous tape restraining devices had been used which included rollers, magnets, and arcuated shoe members made of such materials as impregnated wood or plastic. None of these tape restraining devices have proven to be a completely satisfactory method of holding the tapes tightly against the tape wheels, for in most cases considerable wear of the 3,l%,2.l5 Patented Aug. 3, 1985 tapes and parts associated therewith is introduced. The frictional contact between the tapes and their restraining means requires some form of lubrication, and the excessive heat generated by these parts during operation has proved the known forms of lubrication to be inadequate.

According to the invention, an endless belt member is utilized to hold the flexible tapes tightly against the rim of the tape wheels during the winding and unwinding of the said tapes thereon. This form of restraining the tapes has eliminated the heating up condition experienced with devices of the prior art as well as the need for periodic lubrication.

The endless belt member is caused to bear against the flexible tape throughout a considerable extent, at least, of the circumferential extent of the tape wheel thereby restraining said tape from any radial movement away from said wheel during oscillation thereof. At spaced points on the tape wheel the belt member is reversely directed and is guided over a plurality of spaced pulleys radially disposed from the rim of said wheel.

The invention will hereinafter be described in greater detail by reference to a specific embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying figures of drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a shuttleless loom to which the invention has been applied;

FIG. 2 is a section taken at line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section taken at line 33 in PEG. 1; and

FIG. 4- is a View in side elevation showing the eccentric adjustment of the pulley member shown in PEG. 2.

Now referring to the figures of drawing, enough of a loonrof the type described is shown in FliG. 1 to serve as a basis for a detailed description of the invention applied thereto. from a source of supply at the side of the loom and is inserted by flexible members such as tapes made of spring steel. The loom includes among other parts loomsides it and ill, a front girt l2, breastbeam l3, and a top motion at M and 15 from which depend harness frames 16 and 3'17.

The fabric as formed is taken up in a roll 14.

Inasmuch as the instant invention is applicable to both sides of the loom, it is only considered necessary at this point to describe the invention as applied. to one side; however, it should be understood that the opposite side will have similar components to make it function in a like manner.

At each end of the loom (FlG. l) there is provided an oscillating wheel or socalled tape wheel 19 made of a light material such as aluminum. This wheel is oscillated to and fro as in United States Patent 2,604,123 or, more preferably, by means such as described in United States Patent 2,838,956.

The tape wheel 19 is mounted in a housing 2b which is attached to the loomside by means of a mounting bracket 21 and is further supported by means of a supporting bracket 22. The wheel 19 has fixedly attached thereto one end of a flexible inserting member or tape 22 which is of tempered steel and which also has at its free end either an inserting carrier or an extending carrier depending upon the side of the loom at which it is used.

The flexible tapes are guided into and from the shed by a straight horizontal guide means 23 described in Patent No. 2,604,123-supra, and by an endless belt means to be described more fully hereinafter.

According to the instant invention a portion of the outer surface of an endless belt 24 is adapted to bear against a considerable extent, at least, of the circumferential extent of the tape Wheel 19. At spaced points on the wheel the belt is directed away from the wheel and reverse'ly guided over a plurality of pulley members generally indicated by numeral 25. These pulley mem- In this type of loom, the filling is drawn mea re to bers are radially disposed from the wheel and are rotaably attached at spaced points about the housing 20. A leading pulley is positioned adjacent the straight horizontal guide means 23 and is mounted on an eccentric stud 27 making it adjustable toward or away from the outer periphery of the tape wheel 19 (P165, 2 and 4). Pulley 26 being adjustable in this manner allows it to be positioned in close proximity with the tape tor guiding said tape in a straight and tangential path as it is unwrapped and extended from the tape wheel 19. The remaining pulleys 28 (FIG. 3) are of the fianged type [for the purpose of keeping the inner surface of the belt 24 in contact therewith and in general alignment with the rim oi the tape wheel.

The lowermost pulleys are adjustably mounted in vertical slots 29 and 3% provided in the housing 2% and can be raised or lowered to vary the tension under which the endless belt 24 is caused to function. Each of the pulleys 28 are rotatably mounted on the housing 29 by any suitable means such as stud members 31 which are adapted to pass through appropriate apertures provided adjacent the outer edge of the housing 20.

A micro switch 32 is attached to the lower portion of the housing 26 intermediate the rim of the tape wheel 19 and the lower edge of said housing 20. This switch member is interconnected with the loom stop motion. It is provided with an actuating arm 33 which is positioned in close proximity to the rim of the tape wheel. Any malfunction of the endless belt 24 such as breakage or its becoming excessively loose and moving outwardly from the rim of the wheel during oscillation thereof, will eliect contact between the belt and the actuating arm 33 and close the switch 32 to stop the loom so that the necessary adjustments can be made and weaving re- 'surned.

In operation the tape wheels at the sides of the loom are caused to oscillate through a predetermined arc to insert the flexible inserting members into the warp shed to a point where the filling yarn is transferred from one carrier member to the other. After reaching this transfer point in the shed, the wheels reverse their direction of travel to withdraw the inserting members wrapping the same about the rims of the tape wheels. The endless belt members being in pressing contact with the outer periphery of the tape wheels for a considerable portion of their circumference are effective in preventing any radial movement of the inserting members as the latter are caused to be wrapped onto the wheels intermediate the rim thereof and the outer surface of the endless belt in pressing contact therewith. Additionally, the belt members holding the inserting members tightly against the rims of the tape wheels will not permit ballooning of said inserting members when the wheels again reverse their direction of travel to extend these members.

According to the invention herein described and claimed, it is no longer necessary to lubricate the insert ing members or the guiding means therefor. Friction and the generation of excessive heat have been eliminated which in the past have been excessive, often to the detriment of the various components by shortening the life expectancy thereof to something less than that desired.

While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive concept may be carried out in a number of ways. This invention is, therefore, not to be limited to the precise details described, but is intended to embrace all variations and modifications thereof falling within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims.

i claim:

ll. In a shuttleless loom of the type having means to insert filling from an out-side source of supply which includes filling carriers attached to the free ends of flexible tapes, oscillating tape wheels to which said tapes are attached and upon which they are wrapped and from which they are extended into a warp shed by oscillation of said tape wheels, means for maintaining each of said tapes in contact with each of said tape wheels which includes endless belt members and a plurality of spaced rotatable pulley members radially disposed [from the rims of said wheels and around the major portion of the circumference thereof, a portion of said endless belt members being adapted to bear against a considerable extent,

5 at least of the circumferential extent of said wheels with the remaining portions thereof being guided by said pulley members, some, at least, of said pulley members being adjustable for varying the tension under which said belt members are caused to function.

2. In a shuttleless loom of the type having means to insert filling from an outside source of supply which includes an oscillating wheel, a flexible tape member one end of which is fixed to said wheel and which is alternately wrapped about the said wheel and unwrapped from it during its filling inserting function, means for maintaining said tape member in contact with the wheel which includes an endless belt member and spaced pulleys disposed around the major portion of the wheels circumference about which the belt is guided and by which it is tensioned to bear against the flexible tape throughout a considerable extent, at least, of the circumferential extent of the wheel and with a large portion of the width of the tape member, at least one of said pulleys being eccentrically adjustable for guiding said. tape member in a a straight and tangential path as it is unwrapped and extended from said wheel.

3. In a shuttleless loom of the type having means to insert filling from an outside source of supply which includes an oscillating wheel, a flexible tape member one end of which is fixed to said wheel and which is alternately wrapped about the said wheel and unwrapped from it during its fill-ing insert-ing function, means for maintaining said tape member in contact with the wheel which includes an endless belt member and spaced pulleys about which said belt is guided, a portion of the outer surface of said belt being in pressing contact with a considerable extent, at least, of the circumferential extent o i said wheel and With a large portion of the width of the tape member, and said belt being reversely directed at spaced points from said wheel whereby a portion of the inner surface of said belt is guided over said pulleys during oscillation of said wheel and said pulleys being flanged at the sides thereof, 'for maintaining the belt member in contact with said pulleys and in general alignment with the rim of said wheel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,888,956 6/59 Flarnand et al 139-122 FOREIGN PATENTS 306,634 2/29 Great Britain. 424,966 2/ 35 Great Britain. 453,618 9/36 Great Britain. 572,651 10/45 Great Britain.

DONALD W. PARKER, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A SHUTTLELESS LOOM OF THE TYPE HAVING MEANS TO INSERT FILLING FROM AN OUTSIDE SOURCE OF SUPPLY WHICH INCLUDES FILLING CARRIERS ATTACHED TO THE FREE ENDS OF FLEXIBLE TAPES, OSCILLATING TAPE WHEELS TO WHICH SAID TAPES ARE ATTACHED AND UPON WHICH THEY ARE WRAPPED AND FROM WHICH THEY ARE EXTENDED INTO A WARP SHED BY OSCILLATION OF SAID TAPE WHEELS, MEANS FPR MAINTAINING EACH OF SAID TAPES IN CONTACT WITH EACH OF SAID TAPE WHEELS WHICH INCLUDES ENDLESS BELT MEMBERS AND A PLURALITY OF SPACED ROTABLE PULLEY MEMBERS RADIALLY DISPOSED FROM THE RIMS OF SAID WHEELS AND AROUND THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE CIRCUMFERENCE THEREOF, A PORTION OF SAID ENDLESS BELT MEM- 